We live in a cold climate and in winter it takes energy to stay warm and keep functioning.
We must heat buildings, warm our vehicles and with shorter daylight hours, increased energy use is unavoidable.
However, there are things we can do to save money and use less energy. Major energy efficiency changes, such as re-insulating walls or replacing windows, require a significant expenditure of time and money. Those renovations are worth considering, but winter is upon us, and there are short-term options.
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For example, tightening windows and doors. Escaping warm air is replaced with cold air, which needs to be heated. One reason newer buildings take less energy is because they are better insulated but they are also tighter and leak less air.
Reducing air loss is critical. It can be done by improving caulking on windows or applying temporary plastic film. Doors can be improved with better weather stripping or door sweeps.
If there are rooms that are rarely used, turn down the heat in those areas. It might be necessary to close doors if drafts are evident.
If you have an old natural gas heating source, boiler or furnace, putting in a modern unit can save a lot of energy. New forced air furnaces and boilers operate at up to 98 percent efficiency.
If your old unit was operating at 50 to 60 percent efficiency, you will experience as much as 40 percent savings in energy cost.
Lighting is an energy expense that also rises in winter. Days are short and nights start early, which means we use our lights more.
For security lighting, outdoor lights can be put on timers so they go out automatically or are controlled by motion sensors so they will only be on if there is traffic.
Vanity lighting, such as that used in soffits to accent buildings, has become increasingly popular and unless used sparingly can contribute to electrical consumption.
Most farms have all-night lighting, a situation that was established when energy costs were much lower than today. Farmyard lights, often several in a yard, are lit from dusk to dawn and can account for a substantial amount of energy consumed.
Security can still be achieved by replacing those lights with motion-sensor controlled units. There are CFL (compact fluorescent) reflector floodlights that will work fine in winter with 75 percent savings over incandescent.
As well, LED lights, which are energy-efficient and have a lifespan that might measure in decades, are becoming more affordable.
When it comes to vehicles, a lot can be saved with reduced use of block heaters. Many vehicles, including
tractors, are plugged in 24 hours a day, yet most engines reach the maximum temperature within hours and any more is a waste.
Small engines, such as in compact cars, may need only a couple of hours to reach their maximum temperature. Larger engines may need four hours.
Tractors or other big block diesels may need more time but rarely do they need to be plugged in all the time. And using synthetic oil can also make a huge difference in starting and is likely much better for winter starting with or without a block heater.
Timers can be important in reducing energy waste associated with block heaters. If you normally plug your car in from 6 p.m. when you get home from work to 6 a.m., that is 12 hours. If you reduce heating time to only two to four hours, that is at least a 67 percent saving, day after day.
Idling an engine at any time is a questionable use of fuel, a habit more understandable in winter. It may be better for an engine to be warmer than stone cold, but it is not necessary for it to reach full temperature. The driver may like a warm car, but the car doesn’t need to be that warm to function well.
Diesel drivers often seem to believe that idling is essential and it is common to see diesels, mostly trucks, idling outside shops and restaurants, sometimes for hours. This is not necessary. Modern diesels start well, and high-mass diesel engines hold the heat better than gas engines.
Livestock producers have a particular challenge: watering livestock in extreme cold.
Most frequently, that is done using waterers, which are heated with electricity. The power consumption can be large with several waterers costing more to operate over a winter than the cost of buying an energy-efficient unit.
The best performing ones are made on the Prairies for prairie conditions. Some energy efficient units circulate water from wells in the ground or use convection currents to prevent freezing.
Some units use a moderate amount of propane to ensure no freezing. Others use insulated troughs to conserve the latent heat in the water or buried casings with below-frost water storage and drain-back bowls to ensure functioning through the ugliest of winter conditions.
Winter can be a trying time in so many ways, but with planning it is possible to get through winter with lower energy consumption while also saving money.
Will Oddie is a renewable energy, sustainable building consultant with a lifetime interest in energy conservation. To contact Oddie, send e-mail to energyfield@producer.com.
